Coolart Wetlands and Homestead Reserve

Coolart Wetlands and Homestead Reserve is an 87.5 ha estate located on the Western Port coast of the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, southeastern Australia.

It is situated about 70 km southeast of Melbourne, just west of the village of Somers. The reserve is a remnant of one of the oldest grazing properties on the Mornington Peninsula, containing the Coolart Homestead, which is a late 19th-century mansion-like house surrounded by a well-maintained garden.

Coolart is bordered by Merricks Creek on the south, Somers School Camp on the east, Balnarring Beach road on the west, and privately owned farmland on the north. The reserve features a substantial two-storey brick homestead, which has a third-storey tower and a variety of outbuildings. Adjacent to the homestead are several wetlands, including a bird hide and a wetland observatory, where educational facilities can be found. In addition, there are also areas of woodland and farmland within the reserve.

The wetlands at Coolart are home to a breeding colony of over 1000 Australian white ibises, while koalas, swamp wallabies, and echidnas inhabit the woodlands. The walking tracks provide visitors the opportunity to explore the reserve and its native fauna.

Originally, Coolart was part of the traditional lands of the Bunurong people, who called it "Coolart" from the Bunurong word "colourt" or "kulluk" meaning "nearby Sandy Point." In 1839, the Meyrick brothers took up the property as a pastoral lease. Following several farming phases, the property became known as the Coolart Estate, which was then purchased by